We do not import food at all —Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has said irrespective of divergent opinions of the populace, his administration is keeping the promises he made ahead of the March 28, 2015 presidential election.

The President also stated that with the arable land available in the country, Nigeria needed not to be importing food at all.

A statement on Monday by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, stated that Buhari said this at a meeting with some senior executives of the Qatar Chamber of Commerce and some private businessmen in Doha, Qatar, on Sunday.

Buhari said, “Agriculture and solid minerals will mobilise youths for gainful employment. We have the capacity not to need to import food at all.

“But we need to also tackle infrastructure deficit in power, transportation, rail, road and in other areas.”

He recalled that his campaign was based on three issues, which are security, employment generation and anti-corruption, contending that he was keeping faith with the promises.

Buhari assured the business community in Qatar that his government would work hard to remove any impediment that could hinder investment in the country, adding that security was essential to prosperity and development.

He said, “Nobody invests without first knowing how secure a country is. That is why we have placed high premium on securing the country, because you cannot effectively manage a country you have not secured.

“We campaigned on zero corruption, promising that we would run an accountable government and we are keeping our promises.”

On the crash in the international crude oil prices and its effect on the Nigerian economy, Buhari informed the gathering that Nigeria was blessed with vast arable land for agriculture, and rich deposit of solid minerals, which the businessmen could invest in and reap rich returns in a short time.

Speaking on behalf of the Qatari businessmen, the Vice Chairman of Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Muhammed Al Kuwari, said they would be interested in the finance, oil and gas, telecommunications, tourism, agriculture and food processing sectors, among others.

“All eyes are on Africa in the next decade. Africa is the next place for growth, the rest of the world is looking towards the continent and Nigeria is an important part of that continent,” he told Buhari and members of his delegation.